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The human skeleton

Definition- The skeleton is the central structure of the body and is made up
of bones, joints and cartilage. The skeleton provides the framework for
muscles. The skeletal system is made up of bones, the connective tissues such
as muscles
Types of skeletons
i)Endoskeleton - a skeleton found inside the body e.g. those
found in mammals, birds, reptiles etc.
ii) exoskeleton/external skeleton- a skeleton found outside the
body e.g. those found in crabs , insects and crustaceans, provide
protection and support.
iii)Hydrostatic skeleton - a skeleton made of fluid-filled
cavities, like those in jellyfish, worms ,provide support through
pressure.
Bone -is a living tissue with a supply of blood. Bones contain
the elements calcium and phosphorus which make them strong
but flexible. Exercise and eating a balanced diet keep our
bones healthy
The bones inside our body make up the skeleton. The skeleton
is made up of a framework of bones. The average adult human
being skeleton consists of 206 bones.
Other parts of the skeletal system
a) muscles - Muscles are made of tightly woven, stretchy fibres. You have more
than 600 muscles in your body that help you do everything from walking,
running and jumping to breathing and digesting food. Muscles stretch and
contract.
b) cartilage- Cartilage is strong, tough and flexible tissue that acts like a shock
absorber in joints throughout your body. Cover ends of bones. Prevents
friction/wear and tear/bones rubbing together. Produces synovial fluid.

c) ligaments-Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect bones to other bones.

Slightly elastic. Stabilise the joints during movement. Can absorb shock
because of their elasticity. Help maintain correct posture and movement
d) tendons-Tendons are cords that connect muscles to bone. Not elastic.
Stabilise/anchor the muscle. Change in size, depending on muscle
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e) joint-A joint is any place two bones meet. It contains some of (or all) the
pieces listed above.

Types of bone -Within the skeleton there are different kinds of bone. The type
of bone determines the amount of movement.
type of bone example in description
the body
long fermur cylindrical in shape and found in the limbs.
Their main function is to act as a lever.
short carpals small and compact, often equal in length and
width. These types of bone are designed for
strength and weight bearing.

The shape and size of the bones play an important role in their function.

i) Long bones enable gross movement, which is a large-scale movement like

running or standing up.

ii) Short bones enable finer, controlled movement such as articulation of the
fingers.

iii) Flat bones, such as the ribs, protect organs from damage

Functions of the skeleton

a) structural supports the body b) protects vital organs
c) help the body move d) make blood cells
e) mineral storage f) Weight-bearing capacity
g) posture-
1 Support -The skeleton provides support for your body and
holds or anchor your internal organs in place. Without bones
your body would be floppy like a jellyfish. The bones create a
framework for your muscles and organs to connect to. Your
vertebral column ( backbone) holds the body upright.
2 Protects- bones are hard and strong so they protect vital
organs from being damaged. The skull protects the brain. The
ribcage protects your heart and lungs. Your backbone protects
the spinal cord.
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3 Move - Muscles are attached to the bones. If a muscle pulls

on a bone , it will cause the bone to move. The skeleton moves
at joins, such as your knee. The movement of bones about
joints allows the body to move
4 Making blood cells -Some bones inside your body, such as the
long ones in your arms and legs, are not solid. In the middle of
these bones there is a soft tissue called bone marrow. The bone
marrow produces red and white blood cells. Red blood cells
carry oxygen around the body. They also carry carbon dioxide
to the lungs. White blood cells protect the body against
infection. They destroy bacteria and foreign bodies (bacteria,
microorganisms).
5 mineral storage- the bones are a good storage place for the
minerals calcium, and phosphate and vitamin D.
6 Weight-bearing capacity-Bone is highly resistant to compression and tension,
allowing it to support body weight.
7 Posture- the skeleton provides the human shape and determines the height of a
person.
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Skeleton song
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Parts of the skeleton

1 cranium - The skull includes the jaw bone and

the facial bones. It also has a cavity, called the cranium
to protect the brain.
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2 The rib cage -The rib cage is formed by the backbone,

breastbone, ribs and cartilages. It protects the heart and
lungs.

3 Breastbone/sternum-The breastbone is a long flat bone.

It is located in the centre of the chest. It connects to the ribs

with cartilage.
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4 The Upper Arm bone -The upper arm bone is a long bone
in the upper arm. It runs from the shoulder to the elbow.

5 The Forearm Bones - The forearm bones run parallel to

each other. One is the Radius and the other is the Ulna. They
connect the elbow with the wrist.
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6 The Thigh Bone /femur– The thigh bone is also known as

the femur. Thigh bone is the longest and the strongest bone
in the human skeletal system. It extends from the hip to the
knee.

7 Wrist and Finger Bones- Bones in the human hand are

divided into three groups. They are;

 1. Wrist bones
 2. Metacarpals
 3. Finger bones
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8 The Hip Bone/pelvis -This is a symmetrical bone that

looks like a basin. It protects the digestive and reproductive
organs and the rectum. The thigh bone connects to the hip
bone.

9 Ankle and Foot Bones- Bones in the human foot are

divided into three groups. They are;

 1. Ankle bones
 2. Metatarsals
 3. Foot bones

Bone structure of the right foot

Movement and joints

Muscles move bones and joints allow the skeleton to bend. This
combination is called biomechanics.
A joint, is also known as an articulation or articular surface, is a
connection that occurs between bones in the skeletal system.
Joints provide the means for movement. Your joints need to be
strong enough to hold your bones together but flexible enough
to let them move. Different By definition, a joint is a point
where two bones meet to provide a framework that permits
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movement.. Bones are attached to one another by tissues

called ligaments. Muscles are attached to bones through
tendons. The action of muscles is antagonistic.
Types of joints

Four important synovial joints used in most sporting actions are the elbow and
shoulder joints in the arm, and the knee and hip joints in the leg.

The elbow and knee joints are both hinge joints. A hinge joint is a type of
synovial joint that works like the hinge on a door, allowing bending and
straightening only.

The shoulder and hip joints are both ball and socket joints. A ball and socket
joint is a type of synovial joint that allows movement in almost every direction.
A ball and socket joint is made up of a round end of one bone that fits into a
small cup-like area of another bone.

Elbow joint i)Hinge joint. ii) Articulating bones are humerus, radius and ulna.

iii) Allows bending (flexion) and straightening (extension).

iv) Muscles which move the elbow are biceps and tricep

components of the elbow joint that allow a hinge action

Knee joint i) Hinge joint. ii) Articulating bones are femur and tibia (the patella
is not classed as part of the joint, nor is the fibula).

iii) Allows bending (flexion) and straightening (extension).

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iv) Muscles which move the knee are quadriceps and hamstrings.

The different components of the knee joint

Hip joint

 Ball and socket joint

 Articulating bones are pelvis and femur (head of femur is 'ball' and cup in
pelvis is 'socket')
 Allows a large range of movement in all directions
 Many muscles are used to move the hip joint, including the gluteals

The different components of the hip joint

Shoulder joint i) Ball and socket joint.

ii) Articulating bones are humerus and scapula (the clavicle is not part of the
shoulder joint). iii)Allows a great range of movement in all directions.

iv) Many muscles are used to move the shoulder joint, including the deltoid,
trapezius and latissimus dorsi.
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1-Ball and Socket Joints

Here, one bone is hooked into the hollow space of another

bone. This type of joint helps in rotatory movement. An
example ball and socket joint are the shoulders.

2 Pivotal Joints

In this type of joint, one bone has tapped into the other in such
a way that full rotation is not possible. This joint aid in sideways
and back-forth movement. An example of a pivotal joint in the
neck.

Hinge Joints
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Hinge joints are like door hinges, where only back and forth
movement is possible. Example of hinge joints is the ankle,

elbows, and knee joints.

3 fixed joints

4 Saddle Joints

Saddle joint is the biaxial joint that allows the movement on

two planes–flexion/extension and abduction/adduction. For
example, the thumb is the only bone in the human body having
a saddle joint

5 Pivotal Joints

In this type of joint, one bone has tapped into the other in such
a way that full rotation is not possible. This joint aid in sideways
and back-forth movement. An example of a pivotal joint in the
neck.

5 Condyloid Joints- Condyloid joints are the joints with two

axes which permit up-down and side-to-side motions. The
condyloid joints can be found at the base of the index finger,
carpals of the wrist, elbow and the wrist joints. This joint is also
known as a condylar, or ellipsoid joint.

6 Gliding Joints - Gliding joints are a common type of synovial

joint. It is also known as a plane or planar joint. This joint permit
two or more round or flat bones to move freely together
without any rubbing or crushing of bones. This joint is mainly
found in those regions where the two bones meet and glide on
one another in any of the directions. The lower leg to the ankle
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joint and the forearm to wrist joint are the two main examples
of gliding joints.

Conditions that affect the skeletal system

i) sports injuries ii) arthritis iii) osteoporosis iv) bone fractures( broken
bones) v) dislocations vi) muscle strains( pulled muscles)

vii) ligament tears and sprains viii) bone pain

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Human skeleton synovial joint

Different muscle types in the human body

There are three types of muscle in the body:

1. smooth muscle – found in the internal organs and blood vessels - this is
involuntary
2. cardiac muscle – found only in the heart - this is involuntary
3. skeletal muscle – attached to the skeleton - this is voluntary

Involuntary muscles are not under our conscious control which means we can't
make them contract when we think about it.

Voluntary muscles are under our conscious control so we can move these
muscles when we want to.

Antagonistic muscle pairs -Muscles transfer force to bones through tendons.

They move our bones and associated body parts by pulling on them – this
process is called muscle contraction.

However, muscle contraction cannot act to push the bone back into its original
position, and because of this, muscles work in 'antagonistic muscle pairs'. One
muscle of the pair contracts to move the body part, the other muscle in the pair
then contracts to return the body part back to the original position. Muscles that
work like this are called antagonistic pairs.

In an antagonistic muscle pair as one muscle contracts the other muscle relaxes
or lengthens. The muscle that is contracting is called the agonist and the muscle
that is relaxing or lengthening is called the antagonist.